Some of JCOPE's employees have been in place since before the Commission on Public Integrity was created by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007.

The 2007 group was formed when the old Ethics and Lobbying commissions were merged. But it soon became embroiled in controversy involving a battle between Spitzer and Joseph L. Bruno, who was the Republican Senate majority leader at the time.

It wasn't immediately clear if former Lobbying and Ethics commission employees were among those who had been let go.

JCOPE was also in the news this week with accusations that Janet DiFiore, the commission's chairwoman, pulled strings to get government benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance for her housekeeper. DiFiore, who is the Westchester County district attorney, denies doing anything wrong.

The commission met earlier in the week, with most of its work done in closed executive session.